Even by his usual lascivious, often predatory standards, protagonist Saeba Ryo is extra sexist and dubious at some points in this TV movie; what is emphatically questionable and inappropriate most of the time treads into outright problematic territory with some of the dialogue, scene writing, and storyboarding. Thankfully his friends are there to keep him in check, most of all Kaoru with her oversized hammers - and meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are facets of the plot that also go decidedly dark quite quickly. There's a vast gulf between those parts of 'Goodbye my sweetheart' that are the most outrageous, and/or the most wildly humorous, and those that are the most serious, and this is further reflected in how violence is employed, and in unexpected, earnest character moments. I'm not so sure that this can be described as the same refined balance that we saw in this title's effective predecessor, 'The Secret Service,' but in fairness, to whatever extent this installment might arguably be a tad less finessed, it's basically by a matter of degrees rather than whole numbers. Really, for whatever disparities we might describe between this and its brethren, when you get down to it this flick is as excellent and solid as we might hope, for all intents and purposes on par with the rest of the franchise.
While 'City Hunter' wouldn't be 'City Hunter' without its characteristic blend of action and comedy, I almost wonder if this film wouldn't have been better off omitting the comedy outright, or at least significantly reducing it. This iteration already boasts a heartier, more substantive plot than some other examples: a complicated sibling relationship; a grave tale of a cold, ruthless man engaging in terrorism, threatening all of Shinjuku (and borrowing more than a little from a then-recent Hollywood success); tinges of a psychological aspect as beleaguered Emi struggles with her predicament, and as we learn more about The Professor. The narrative is strong and compelling, and while the action is perhaps somewhat more sparing here, it is generally applied in a fashion in the scene writing that allows its gravity to echo that of the storytelling. Being more of a hardened action-thriller than other related features, it's possible that the doses of levity (and outright cartoonishness) are a bit much this time around, and had the more somber aspects received still more focus, the entirety would have been strengthened. And still, we're pretty much just breaking down semantics: though it may be imperfect, 'Goodbye my sweetheart' is exciting, if not also impactful, and engrossing to an extent that hasn't always been the case. Rough edges and all, the result is quite fantastic when all is said and done.
Dynamic, flavorful music is a welcome complement to each scene in turn, and the voice acting is terrific in helping to bring the course of events to bear. In all regards there really are great ideas all throughout - all while this is just as readily accessible as the other 'City Hunter' pictures, letting viewers easily jump in even if we don't have a lot of prior experience with Hojo Tsukasa's manga or the subsequent anime. And it's safe to say that the animation is plainly outstanding: rich with detail and texture, giving us beautiful backgrounds and environments, eye-catching designs for characters and other active elements, dazzling effects, and fluid, invigorating action sequences. There's even some nice consideration for color, lighting, shading, and perspective, offering an artistic flourish to this instance of a franchise that's usually unabashedly over the top. We're treated to genuine tension and suspense, some interesting characters, and even an ending that hits surprisingly hard. So it's just a smidgen regrettable that this wasn't written more mindfully; with still more concentration on the most dramatic components and in keeping with the dominant tone, the finished product would have been altogether superb. Nevertheless, him and haw as we may about where precisely this fits in among its kin, all told there's no getting around that this is a splendid, smart, and highly entertaining entry in the series. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it demands viewership, but if one does have the opportunity to watch, then even with faults 'Goodbye my sweetheart' is a swell ride, and well worth checking out.
